diff --git a/src/Tree.cpp b/src/Tree.cpp
index 36969c39..8e0119e3 100644
--- a/src/Tree.cpp
+++ b/src/Tree.cpp
@@ -226,6 +226,13 @@
   this->cols_node.set_size(mtry);
   uint cols_accepted = 0;
 
+  uword mtry_safe = find_safe_mtry();
+
+  if(mtry_safe == 0){
+   cols_node.resize(0);
+   return;
+  }
+
   // Set all to not selected
   std::vector<bool> temp;
   temp.resize(n_cols_total, false);
@@ -245,7 +252,7 @@
     cols_accepted++;
    }
 
-   if(cols_accepted == mtry) break;
+   if(cols_accepted == mtry_safe) break;
 
   }
 
@@ -573,6 +580,11 @@
 
  }
 
+ uword Tree::find_safe_mtry(){
+  // only relevant for survival trees at the moment
+  return(this->mtry);
+ }
+
  void Tree::find_rows_inbag(arma::uword n_obs) {
 
   // it is assumed that:
@@ -821,6 +833,8 @@
 
    // determine rows in the current node and if it can be split
    if(!is_node_splittable(*node)){
+    // this step creates y_node and w_node for the current node
+    // x_node is created once a set of columns are sampled.
     sprout_leaf(*node);
     continue;
    }
diff --git a/src/Tree.h b/src/Tree.h
index 3ffe7d95..021f673d 100644
--- a/src/Tree.h
+++ b/src/Tree.h
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@
 
   virtual void find_all_cuts();
 
+  virtual uword find_safe_mtry();
+
   virtual double compute_split_score();
 
   void sample_cuts();
diff --git a/src/TreeSurvival.cpp b/src/TreeSurvival.cpp
index 4c0ae8fc..6e217780 100644
--- a/src/TreeSurvival.cpp
+++ b/src/TreeSurvival.cpp
@@ -299,6 +299,26 @@
 
  }
 
+ arma::uword TreeSurvival::find_safe_mtry(){
+
+  uword safer_mtry = mtry;
+
+  if(lincomb_type == LC_NEWTON_RAPHSON){
+
+   // Need 3:1 ratio of unweighted events:predictors
+   uword n_events_total = sum(y_node.col(1));
+
+   while(n_events_total / safer_mtry < 3){
+    --safer_mtry;
+    if(safer_mtry == 0) break;
+   }
+
+  }
+
+  return(safer_mtry);
+
+ }
+
  double TreeSurvival::compute_split_score(){
 
   double result=0;
diff --git a/src/TreeSurvival.h b/src/TreeSurvival.h
index d3a92d41..8b035461 100644
--- a/src/TreeSurvival.h
+++ b/src/TreeSurvival.h
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@
    this->leaf_min_events = value;
   }
 
+  arma::uword find_safe_mtry() override;
+
   double compute_prediction_accuracy_internal(arma::vec& preds) override;
 
   std::vector<arma::vec> leaf_pred_indx;
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-orsf_vs.R b/tests/testthat/test-orsf_vs.R
index 0c4e52dd..5f736fb3 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-orsf_vs.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-orsf_vs.R
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ test_that(
 
   fit <- orsf(pbc_with_junk,
               time + status ~ .,
-              n_tree = 75,
-              importance = 'permute',
+              n_tree = 25,
+              importance = 'anova',
               tree_seeds = seeds_standard)
 
-  fit_var_select <- orsf_vs(fit, n_predictor_min = 10)
+  fit_var_select <- orsf_vs(fit, n_predictor_min = 5)
 
   vars_picked <- fit_var_select$predictors_included[[1]]